


My Heart Went "Boom!"

by captainraz



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 05:58:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6841696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainraz/pseuds/captainraz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Cassandra and Trevelyan had met before Haven?</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Heart Went "Boom!"

Night had fallen over Skyhold but the Herald’s Rest was warm and full of the laughter of friends. Inquisitor Trevelyan leaned back in her chair as she drained her tankard.

“Another!” roared the Iron Bull.

“Drink or story?” Trevelyan threw back.

“Both.” Bull grinned.

“Oh I know I know I know,” said Sera, rocking back and forth gleefully. “Tell us about the first time you met the Seeker.”

“That one’s easy,” Dorian scoffed. “Clapped in irons in the dungeons under Haven.”

" ‘Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now,’ " said Bull, doing an uncannily accurate impression of Cassandra. Trevelyan really shouldn’t have told him about that.

Sera ignored them both. “No, I want to know the fun stuff. Like what went through Shiny’s head. I know what my first thoughts were: ‘aaah!’ and then ‘woof!’”

The table dissolved into raucous laughter complete with Bull slapping his thigh.

“You’re wrong, Dorian,” said Trevelyan once everyone had settled down a little. “That wasn’t the first time I met Cassandra.”

“No?” he replied, his lips twitching. “Consider my interest piqued.”

“Buy the next round and I’ll tell the story,” Trevelyan said with a grin.

Dorian immediately called for a waiter. “Another drink for my friend here.”

“Now, this was long before I became Inquisitor you understand…”

***

The Winter Palace was spectacular as always but Empress Celene’s balls were usually rather tedious. Oh there would be at least one murder before the night was over, several more attempts, a dozen scandals revealed and even more clandestine affairs, but it all happened in the shadows and behind closed doors. None of it was particularly interesting to _watch_.

Trevelyan wasn’t actually all that sure why she was there. Her father usually avoided sending her to any event she might find a way to embarrass the family at. Which usually meant she didn’t get to go to parties where there was wine. This party had plenty of booze and lots of lovely men and women for Trevelyan to look at, which was a little disorienting. Maybe her father was hoping she’d stumble upon a politically advantageous match. Or more likely none of her siblings had wanted to come.

She sighed to herself and leaned against the wall. Trevelyan had hidden herself behind a rather ugly bronze statue of… something and was watching the tedious machinations of the Game with a glass of wine cradled in her hand. At least she’d managed to arrive fashionably late and had missed the announcement of the guests. On the downside it meant she couldn’t actually remember the reason for this little soiree. Not that she cared much when there was free alcohol in such plentiful supply.

Her eyes were drawn to the other end of the ballroom as the Empress stepped back in from the balcony, accompanied by a tall, striking woman. Trevelyan felt as though her heart had stopped. She couldn’t tear her eyes away. Who was this woman? Short dark hair crowned with an intricate braid, Kohl rimmed eyes that seemed to burn into Trevelyan’s soul and cheekbones to die for. Maker but she was gorgeous.

She swept her eyes downwards to fully appreciate the dark haired beauty in front of her and that was when Trevelyan properly noticed what she was wearing. This woman wasn’t clad in the type of frilly gown favoured by the Orlesian ladies at this type of party but a shining silver breastplate bearing the symbol of the Seekers of Truth. Trevelyan let out a breath of awe and frustration; this woman could only be Cassandra Pentaghast, member of the royal house of Nevarra and Right Hand of Divine.

Tonight’s guest of honour.

Trevelyan had heard of Seeker Pentaghast, of course, but she’d never had the pleasure of seeing her with her own eyes. She hadn’t been prepared for the vision in front of her, couldn’t have anticipated the way her mouth had gone dry or the relentless pounding of her heart in her chest. Of all the women at this ball she could have fallen for and she had to pick the most unattainable.

In an attempt to distract herself from irritating unrequited feelings she downed her glass of wine and went in search of another. Trevelyan tried to get involved in conversations with the Orlesian nobles as her father would expect but no matter where she went she remained hyper-aware of Seeker Pentaghast at all times. Eventually Trevelyan noticed the Right Hand slipping out on to a balcony, no doubt to escape the over-attentive fawning of the other guests.

Trevelyan’s heart was in her throat as she scooped up two glasses of wine and followed the Seeker. What was she thinking? There was no chance this woman would have any interest in the youngest daughter of a second rate Marcher noble. But she couldn’t quite seem to stop herself.

“Apparently no one told your face this was a party,” Trevelyan said as she stepped out onto the balcony.

“Excuse me?” came the reply, high pitched and clearly unimpressed.

Trevelyan winced. “That sounded a lot better in my head. Can I try again?” Dark eyes narrowed and Trevelyan nearly lost her nerve and fled.

“Is there something I can do for you?” The clipped words wrapped in a Nevarran accent made Trevelyan weak at the knees.

“Evelyn Trevelyan,” she said,stepping forward with a confidence she really didn’t feel. “I would say you could smile but I know from experience how annoying that is.” She held out the second glass of wine. “Peace offering?”

Cassandra eyed the glass warily, as though she fully expected poison, but took it anyway. “Trevelyan? You are from the Free Marches.”

“That’s right. Ostwick.”

“I do not recall seeing you at one of these events before.” Cassandra paused before ‘events’ and then laced the word with more contempt and disdain than Trevelyan had ever heard. Which was saying something considering some of the lectures she’d received from her father.

“I don’t normally get invited. The downside of having several older siblings who get all the invites to the good parties.” She grimaced as she felt her face grow hot. “Of course it’s entirely possible I don’t get invited because I have a tendency to say the wrong thing and embarrass myself.”

A tiny smirk curled in the corner of Cassandra’s mouth. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Yes well, I tend to get a little flustered around stunningly attractive women and my mouth seems to say things without consulting the rest of me.”

Cassandra looked shocked. " ‘Stunningly attractive’?"

“Surely people have said that to you before?”

“Never.”

“Then they don’t have eyes.” Cassandra looked like she wanted to say something but Trevelyan cut her off before she started. “I didn’t come out here to make a pass at you, don’t worry. I came out because you looked like you could use a glass of wine and some company that wasn’t a fawning Orlesian noble.”

The Right Hand gave a small huff of what Trevelyan thought was amusement. “You made a poor start if you were trying to seduce me.” Cassandra finally took a sip from the glass she’d been given and sighed. “Do you find these things as tiresome as I do?”

Trevelyan leaned on the balcony railing next to the Seeker. “I can’t say I’ve been to enough of them for them to get tiresome. And honestly I spend most of them under a table with the punch bowl so…” She shrugged.

“Your parents must be so proud,” said Cassandra and Trevelyan couldn’t help but laugh at the sarcasm.

The two women were quiet for a moment, sipping their drinks in a silence that was surprisingly companionable given the fact they’d just met. Trevelyan was most of the way through her glass of wine but was in no hurry to part ways. Desperate to make the encounter last a little longer, she latched on to the first subject that came to mind.

“What’s she like?” she said quietly. Cassandra frowned, looking puzzled. “The Divine I mean. Most of us only ever hear stories or get to see her from afar but you, you’re one of her closest advisors. What’s she like?”

Cassandra considered Trevelyan carefully for a moment, as though assessing her for any deception or ulterior motive in asking about one of the most powerful women in Thedas. Apparently the Seeker couldn’t see anything to be concerned about because she continued.

“Justinia is… she is a good woman and her vision for a better Thedas is one I believe in wholeheartedly. I only pray she is able to achieve half of what she has planned.” Cassandra paused, twirling the wine glass between her fingers. “I am fortunate to be considered among Most Holy’s friends.”

Trevelyan felt humbled by the soft devotion in Cassandra’s voice. Clearly she had a great deal of faith, not only in the Maker but in his Divine as well. The young noble had never felt anything like it.

“She sounds wonderful,” she said quietly. “So,” she continued brightly, attempting to move away from such weighty subjects, “Pentaghast huh? You any good at dragon hunting?”

What followed was a lively conversation about family hunting stories (and the ridiculous embellishments that went along with them) that lasted long after they had both finished their drinks. Somewhere along the way they got into a heated debate on faith and Chantry policy that Trevelyan had no hope of winning. She wasn’t looking to win either; she was content to watch Cassandra’s face as she held forth on a subject she was clearly very passionate about.

Trevelyan’s heart thumped pleasantly in her chest and the warmth in her cheeks had nothing to do with the wine. She could easily see herself falling for Cassandra Pentaghast, as terrible an idea as that was. Trevelyan imagined explaining to her father that she’d fallen in love with a high ranking noble who was an excellent match but sadly unavailable. She brushed the thought aside in favour of enjoying Cassandra’s company, however long it lasted.

Cassandra was in the middle of regaling Trevelyan with a story from her time training to be a Seeker when they were interrupted by a servant.

“Pardon the intrusion Seeker Cassandra,” said the man, one of the many elves in service to the Orlesian court here at Halamshiral. “Her Majesty Empress Celene requests your presence in the ballroom.”

“Very well,” said Cassandra, looking and sounding irritated. “I shall be there momentarily.”

The elf bowed and beat a hasty retreat.

Trevelyan felt a pang of loss in her chest at the fact their time together was over.

Cassandra sighed. “Alas, duty calls. I suppose I should not complain; I have been missing from my own party for well over an hour.”

Trevelyan started. Had it really been that long? “I’m glad I could serve as a distraction, Lady Pentaghast.”

The Seeker scowled at the title. “You may call me Cassandra.”

“Very well then, Cassandra,” said Trevelyan, her voice dropping into an almost intimate whisper. “Thank you for your time. It has been a pleasure.”

“No, thank _you_. I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed an Orlesian ball so much, and that is entirely down to you.” She sighed again. “And now I really must go.”

Trevelyan nodded. “I understand. Let me know if you need me to embarrass myself to get you out of an excruciating conversation with some count or other.”

Cassandra smiled, her entire face lighting up with pleasure and amusement and oh the effect it had. Trevelyan’s stomach flip-flopped pleasantly and, finding some hidden well of courage, she leaned in to kiss the Seeker’s cheek. For some reason Cassandra moved slightly at the last second and Trevelyan’s kiss caught her on the mouth. Cassandra flushed appealingly and Trevelyan felt an answering heat in her own cheeks. That had been unexpected, but she couldn’t deny that it had been utterly lovely.

“Well, goodnight Cassandra.”

“Goodnight Evelyn,” the Seeker replied and Trevelyan swore she hadn’t imagined the husky quality to her voice.

As Cassandra slipped back inside Trevelyan leaned back on the balustrade, grinning wildly. This was the best ball she’d attended in her entire life.

***

“You’re shitting me!” Sera exclaimed, leaning back in her chair, her jaw slack. “You mean to tell me you went to some poncy Orlesian ball and ended up making out with Princess Prissy-pants?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it making out exactly but we kissed, yes.”

“No fair. When I go to Orlesian balls I just get posh nobs calling me ‘knife-ear’. Or telling me to get them drinks.”

“Forgive me if I’m having a hard time imagining it,” said Dorian.

“I’m not,” said Bull looking extremely satisfied. “What I’m trying to imagine is your reaction at Haven when you realised you were being held prisoner by someone you’d locked lips with. Also Cassandra’s reaction.”

Trevelyan shrugged. “Well Cassandra clearly didn’t remember our previous meeting and we both had other concerns at the time. You know; hole in the sky, hundreds of people dead, mysterious magic on my hand that was killing me. Ring any bells?”

“Yeah but what about after that?” asked Sera. “When things had calmed down a bit, surely she remembered then?”

“I remembered eventually,” said a clipped Nevarran accent from somewhere over the Inquisitor’s shoulder. Sera suddenly sat up straighter, looking very guilty indeed.

“What gave me away?” asked Trevelyan, looking back at the Seeker with an affectionate grin.

Cassandra rolled her eyes but there was a smile playing about her lips. “The first time you said something completely ridiculous. I recognised the foot you had lodged in your mouth.”

The entire table roared with laughter at the Inquisitor’s expense, while Trevelyan just sat there and smiled.

“Did you need me for something Cassandra?”

“I’m sorry to pull you away from your revelry Inquisitor but there are a couple of things that require your attention that can’t wait until morning.”

“Sorry guys,” said the Inquisitor pushing her chair back, “but duty calls.”

She followed Cassandra out into the crisp night air, ignoring the boos and protests of her drinking companions. Once safely out of sight of Skyhold’s worst gossips Trevelyan nudged the Seeker with her shoulder. “Did you really need me for something or was that just an excuse to get me alone?”

“The latter,” said Cassandra with a smirk. “I was listening to you tell the story of how we first met and that’s not quite how I remember it.”

“Oh?”

“I seem to recall a few more kisses after that first one. Why did you edit them out?”

Trevelyan shrugged but there was a grin on her face. “They’re going to fill in the extra details anyway, I decided to keep some of them to myself.” She leaned in to whisper in Cassandra’s ear. “They don’t need to know how soft your lips are, or what you sound like with a delightful moan caught in your throat.

Cassandra shivered and there was a faint blush to her cheeks. “Yes. Well. I appreciate your discretion.”

Their fingers tangled together as they headed for the Inquisitor’s chambers, taking the back stairs and servants’ entrances to avoid the great hall.

“Some things are just for us, Cassandra,” she said, brushing her thumb over the back of the Seeker’s hand. “They don’t need to know how you changed my life that night; my heart has belonged to you ever since.”

“And mine to you, despite my best efforts to convince myself otherwise.” She huffed, and Trevelyan recognised the tone of frustration. “I had never been attracted to a woman before you, I wasn’t sure what to do. It’s not a feeling I was accustomed to.”

Trevelyan opened the door to her chambers and led Cassandra inside. “Fortunately I was there to help. We seem to have done alright. Despite our second meeting starting out with me being your prisoner. You know when my life isn’t on the line watching you in a full blaze of anger is actually quite hot.”

Cassandra nudged Trevelyan playfully and she stumbled, laughing.

“You were right, your mouth _does_ say things without consulting the rest of you.”

“It doesn’t seem to have done me any harm; I do have a beautiful Nevarran princess in my bedroom after all. Now, what was it that required my attention and couldn’t wait until morning?”

Cassandra pulled her in for a fierce kiss that ended up in a tangle of limbs on the bed. Trevelyan rolled her over and settled at Cassandra’s side so she could look down in adoration.

“You know, I’m glad none of my siblings wanted to go to that ball.”

“As am I,” Cassandra said, pulling her down for another kiss. “As am I.”


End file.
